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Cooking Under Fire; Mystery Basket,The

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Judges Ming Tsai, Todd English and Michael Ruhlman search the country to find the most culinary committed. They track 12 finalists plucked from the country's restaurants and culinary schools as they embark on a coast-to-coast cooking competition, this documentary-style series will bring viewers behind the scenes and into the kitchen. Each week, the aspiring chefs face intense cooking challenges, difficult deadlines, and the heated pressure of working against the clock. In order to survive, they must combine their kitchen savvy, unique style, and skills of organization and creativity to serve the judges a winning meal. Contestants who fail to perform will run the risk of being "86ed" -- taken off the competition menu and sent home. But success will bring them one step closer to the ultimate culinary prize: a chef position in one of restaurateur Todd English's Manhattan restaurants.
Series release date: 4/2005

Program Description

The women have out-cooked the men! Our three finalists overcome the stereotype of a male-dominated chef business. This week's challenge: the mystery basket. It's a creativity challenge, designed to test inspired cooking at a moment's notice. The contestants have fifteen minutes to come up with a three-course menu, using only what they find in the basket. Then, after turning in their final written menus to the judges, they will have two hours to cook their three dishes, each using a different method of cooking.